


Choices to Refuse and Choices to Create

by MaKenZieMKZ



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Families of Choice, Family, Fifth Hogwarts House, Friendship, Hogwarts, Hogwarts House Sorting, My First AO3 Post, Sacred Twenty-Eight, These tags are not in any particular order, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-17
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-11-21 06:27:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18138623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaKenZieMKZ/pseuds/MaKenZieMKZ
Summary: Taylor Travers stared at the letter addressed to her. Hogwarts. Once upon a time her mother had told her of the wonders of Hogwarts, but that was a long time ago...





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taylor Travers stared at the letter addressed to her. Hogwarts. Once upon a time her mother had told her of the wonders of Hogwarts, but that was a long time ago...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Critiques (constructive criticism delivered in a kind way) are welcome but please don't criticize. I hope you enjoy the story...

**Story begins now**

I ignored the side glances as I entered the Leaky Cauldron and walked straight up to the bar tender. "How do I get to Diagon Alley?"

"I'll show you." A strict, feminine voice volunteered. I turned to my left to see a tall older witch with a few wrinkles, clothed in green robes, and wearing a matching green hat with a long-spotted feather. She led the way, cutting through the crowd and exiting though the back door. When we reached an old faded brick wall, she tapped a few of the old individual bricks and the crumbly bricks as old as the wheel reassembled to form a passage to a crowded, rambunctious, colorful, oddly shaped place.

"Wow." I breathed in amazement.

"Go on. It won't remain open forever." The tall witch ushered me. In an instant my composure was back in place and I was weaving though the crowded street. I hesitated at the window to the owlery, but I had no need for an owl so I continued on. I stopped at Ollivanders: makers of fine wands since 382 B.C.(E.) but there was a line all the way out the door so I continued on to the book store to collect my textbooks and then the other required materials before returning to Ollivanders.

 

I entered just an excited black haired girl and another woman, most likely her mother, exited.

"Hmm," the white haired man thought for a moment before it seemed whatever it was he was pondering clicked. "Miss Travers, here for your wand?" Though it didn't seem like he required an answer I nodded slightly.

He quickly grabbed a few wand boxes and placed them on the counter between us. "Take one and give it a wave."

One-nothing. Two-fire. Three-rain. Four-lightning. Five-feathers. Six-broken vase. Seven-darkness. Eight-blizzard. Etc.

"Well aren't you a difficult one to place? How many have we tried?" He more mumbled the latter part.  
"One hundred thirty-two." He looked surprised when I answered, but then he quickly exited the room before returning with a pitch-black case. Inside, laid on a purple cushion, was a white wand with a few lines in it that appeared to be cracks at first glance, but at closer inspection, reflected different colors of the rainbow. It was _beautiful_. 

"Go on. Pick it up." Ollivander prompted when I did nothing with it.

I lifted the wand and give my one hundred and thirty third wave.

 

Warmth enveloped me. My bare feet on wet rock. Wind howled. Waves crashed. Fire consumed. Fierce, protective, dangerous.

"I would like this one please."

"Aspen wood with dragon heartstrings core, eleven inches."

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From Platform 9 3/4 all the way to the Sorting Ceremony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T-any words here (italicized)= Taylor's thoughts/words to the Sorting Hat  
> H-any words here (in bold)= The Sorting Hats thoughts/words to Taylor.
> 
> In bold and italicized means that it is part of the Sorting Hat's song.

I locked the door to my room out of habit and pulled my truck out from under my bed. I started packing right away. I packed my robes first; my books would be last and my wand would remain on my person.

I opened my brand-new charms textbook first, my wand with me, ready to try out a few charms. Not too long later I heard the front door open.

Immediately, I halted my attempts at magic and closed the book. Dad’s footsteps were heavy and dragged. Today at work must have been tiring. Dad would be going straight to bed, better be quiet so he could sleep peacefully.  
I traded my charms book for potions and continued reading, ignoring the slight pang of hunger.

 

I walked among the muggles in the only dress I owned as I looked for Platform 9 ¾. Of course, I didn’t expect it to be in plain sight for all the muggles to see, but I didn’t see any sign of it either.

“All these muggles.” A voice sighed in disgust. I turned to see a man with long hair so blonde it was almost white, along with a younger boy with the same colored hair.

“Excuse me,” I approached them, “could you tell me where Platform 9 ¾ is?”

“Are you a mudblood?” The boy sneered.

“No.” I answered simply while the elder glared at the younger and hissed, “Manners Draco.”

“To whom am I addressing.” The adult inquired.

“Taylor Travers.”

“Allow me to introduce myself,” the man’s voice dripped with authority, “I am Lucius Malfoy, this is my son, Draco. I believe I know you father, Trenton, is it?”

“Yes.” I confirmed.

“Not the most social of people, very dedicated to his work.”

“Indeed.”

“See the signs nine and ten?” He nodded in the direction of the pillar. I nod in confirmation and he continues, “If you walk straight through the pillar between them you’ll be at Platform 9 3/4 .”

“Thank you sir.” I turned and walked towards where he had directed me. He could have lied, he could be waiting for me to walk into the bricks so he could laugh, but I knew the basics of wizarding politics. The Malfoys, just like the Travers, were part of the _Sacred Twenty-Eight_ and there was a high probability that they were obsessed with their status and despised non-pure bloods. To do such a thing to a pure-blood that was not a blood-traitor was likely against their code of conduct.

I didn’t hesitate, I walked though the wall, a cold chill as I did so, and found myself on Platform 9 ¾ .

 

 

I climbed the steps and began to look in the compartments. Left-laughing students wearing various yellow accessories. Right-two girls who glared at me. Left-a couple snogging. I passed thirty-two compartments on the right and thirty-three on the left before I found one that would suit my needs and wants as it was blissfully empty except for one girl in partially blue robes who was reading a book.

I sat across from her and withdrew my own book. I only had a few more chapters and I would be finished reading my transfiguration textbook.

By the time we arrived at the station it was quite dark and while I would’ve preferred to go with the older students, the boat ride with some type of creature in the lake wasn’t bad.

Many students sighed in relief at the warmth that was presented inside the castle’s doors. At first, I was discomforted by the change, but I quickly adjusted.

The tall lady from Diagon Alley was there, dressed in black robes now with a classic witch’s hat. She greeted us at the stairs. “Welcome to Hogwarts. Soon you all will pass though this door and join your classmates, but before you can take your seats you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Now, while you’re here, your houses will be like your family.” _-Not likely-_ “Your triumphs will earn you points. Any rule breaking, and you will lose points. At the end of the year the house with the most points will win the House Cup. The sorting ceremony will begin shortly.” With that she entered the doors, leaving us to wait in the stairwell.

My future classmates around me burst into nervous mutterings and chatter. I alone said nothing. A minute and a half later the tall lady emerged and led us inside.

 

Two tables on the right and two to the left. Each house got their own table. Candles floated in the air, the ceiling must have been enchanted to appear as the starry night sky.

In front, closer than the table of teachers and staff was a raggedy brown hat on a stool. Then it began to sing,

**“ _Oh you may not think I'm pretty,_**

**_But don't judge on what you see,_ **

**_I'll eat myself if you can find_ **

**_A smarter hat than me._ **

****

**_You can keep your bowlers black,_ **

**_Your top hats sleek and tall,_ **

**_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_ **

**_And I can cap them all._ **

****

**_There's nothing hidden in your head_ **

**_The Sorting Hat can't see,_ **

**_So try me on and I will tell you_ **

**_Where you ought to be._ **

****

**_You might belong in Gryffindor,_ **

**_Where dwell the brave at heart,_ **

**_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_ **

**_Set Gryffindors apart;_ **

****

**_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_ **

**_Where they are just and loyal,_ **

**_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_ **

**_And unafraid of toil;_ **

****

**_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_ **

**_if you've a ready mind,_ **

**_Where those of wit and learning,_ **

**_Will always find their kind;_ **

****

**_Or perhaps in Slytherin_ **

**_You'll make your real friends,_ **

**_Those cunning folks use any means_ **

**_To achieve their ends._ **

****

**_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_ **

**_And don't get in a flap!_ **

**_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_ **

**_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_ **

 

_Seriously? They sort students based on ideas and characteristics? That’s a terrible idea! How will students learn to cooperate with people with different ideals and ideas? How will students learn to compromise and learn from each other? This type of sorting probably just pits the students against each other. This leads to a severe lack of growth and development of character, thinking skills, social skills, and open mindsets. I don't want this._

The tall lady interrupted my thoughts by calling out, “Now, when I call your name you should come forth. I will place the Sorting Hat on your head and you’ll be sorted into your houses.”

Only five of us remained when my name was finally called. “Taylor Travers.”

A few whispers broke out, I only caught “sacred-eight”.

I sat on the stool and allowed the hat to be placed on my head.

 

_T-Can you hear me? Can they hear us?_

**H-Yes, I can and no they cannot.**

_T-Good._

**H-Time to get on with the sorting.**

_T-No._

**H-What?**

_T-No. I don’t want to be sorted._

**H-Then what do we do with you? You must be sorted into a house.**

 

I hesitated only a moment before an idea flickered into existence.

_T-What if you did, but you didn’t?_

**H-hmm…**

_T-We could make one up. Create a story, a history_

The Sorting Hat sighed and listened to the thoughts that raced though my brain for a minute.

**H-Very well. Did you have any more ideas about this house? A name perhaps?**

_T-Equis, like equality or equivalent_

**H-Pick the house colors then…**

_T-Not red, blue, green, or yellow. Orange is too close to yellow, pink to close to red. I don’t want black since the school uniforms are already black. That leaves purple and white!_

**H-Next, we need an animal**

_T-……I don’t know much about animals and the emotions and philosophies associated with them._

**H-Time to dig deep then.**

15 seconds later

**H-Horses, wings, defense. Allicorn.**

_T-What’s that?”_

**H-Simply put, a winged unicorn**

I mentally shrugged. I was getting what I wanted, who was I to complain about a selected house animal

**H-Now hurry and go on and pick a name for the founder**

_T- ~~Novash~~ Nova, Natasha Nova. Natasha Nova created the fifth Hogwarts house that was called Equis. She was very fond of purple and white, which led to her claiming them as her house's colors. Her patronus was an allicorn, which is why the house has an allicorn for its animal and...she was...Natasha was one of the other founder's half-sister.  
_

**H-Are you sure you don’t want to be sorted into a regular, existing house?**

_T-Yes, I’m sure._

**H-Alright, if you’re sure.**

 

Then his voice rang loud and clear throughout the entire Great Hall, “Equis!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a bit long but hopefully you enjoyed it anyway


End file.
